a vision for Norwich Steiner Upper School

To provide a Steiner-Waldorf curriculum to pupils from age 14- 18, with the opportunity for them to gain an accredited qualification, the European Waldorf Diploma, and for pupils to leave this school as balanced, well -rounded and mature young adults, able to pursue their own futures and destinies with confidence and self-belief.

hands, heart and head

In September 2012, an Upper school for pupils from age 14-18 is opening at Norwich Steiner School. Initially catering for children age 14/15, the upper age limit that the school will be able to accommodate will naturally continue to increase each year so that those in the oldest class may remain at the school until they reach age 18.

We see the Upper School as being the Head on the Shoulders of the Lower School. It is where the work started in the kindergarten with the will forces (hands), and developed in the Lower school with the feeling forces (heart), finally comes to fruition with the development of the intellect (head). Parents wishing to apply for a place in the upper school for their child (age 13 or 14) can download an application form here.

Several of our pupils have come to this school because they were unhappy and failing to thrive in the mainstream system. It is important that we continue to provide continuity in their education and an alternative to the mainstream system; there simply are no other schools like this one in Norfolk.

The school will be offering a full Waldorf curriculum, uncompromised by the GCSE or A-Level curriculum or examinations. The reason we have decided not to offer examinations based on the National Curriculum is because our research into other Steiner Upper Schools has shown that the inclusion of even one or two GCSEs transforms the way pupils are taught; it becomes essential to change the teaching in order for pupils to pass the exams.

In GCSEs, for example, the emphasis is on memorising a particular body of information so that questions in an examination can be answered in a particular way. This way of learning and regurgitating of facts is not only incompatible with, but works in direct contradiction to, the Waldorf curriculum, where the emphasis is on the pupils developing an understanding of the subject.

We believe it is an illusion to think that it is possible to successfully offer a Waldorf curriculum and a mainstream exam system at the same time and that attempting to deliver two incompatible curricula ends up compromising both. There is no shortage of schools in Norwich that offer GCSE and A Level exams to parents and students who really want them.

preparing pupils for the future

We believe that the early specialisation, the prescriptive, exam-led teaching and the emphasis on memorising, rather than understanding, that characterise mainstream education in this country, will not develop in our young people the range of skills and personal qualities they will need to meet the challenges of adult life in the 21st century.

Generally, we will try to help our pupils to develop independence, resourcefulness, responsibility, initiative and an active interest in their own education and in the world. With these things in mind, their educational programme in the upper school will include a broad range of subjects with a balance between experiential and intellectual learning. We recognise the need for the range of academic subjects, practical work, arts and science to be integrated across the curriculum.

For pupils who wish to transfer to mainstream schools at age 16, Upper School teachers will work to form close links with sixth forms. The evidence we have from other Steiner schools is that it is much easier for pupils to transfer at this age than at 14, even without GCSEs. There are many reports of Steiner pupils even being ‘sought after’ once sixth forms meet pupils and see the work they have been doing.

Employers, colleges of further education and universities have an interest in young people who are motivated and mature. We believe that through guiding our pupils to gain relevant experience (e.g. through a variety of work experience placements), they will become motivated to work hard and strive to develop their own futures.

Outreach work with employers, colleges and universities will be of core importance in the role of Upper School teachers.

In due course we expect the European Waldorf Diploma to be in place, but in the meantime, all pupils will have the opportunity to develop a portfolio of accredited work under an existing scheme called the European Portfolio Certificate (EPC). The EPC is already used by Waldorf Schools throughout Europe and increasingly in the UK. See below for more information on both the EWD and the EPC.

the European Waldorf Diploma (EWD)

This is currently being piloted by the Crossfields Institute in three Steiner Schools in the UK: Ringwood, South Devon and the Steiner Academy of Hereford. The work is being underwritten and validated by Edexcel, one of the main providers of qualifications in the UK (including GCSEs and A levels).

The EWD working group of more than twenty experienced Steiner School Teachers (currently from Britain and Germany) are working on a package of Waldorf based units at level two (GCSE equivalent) and level three (A level equivalent) in Maths, Sciences, Humanities, Arts, and practical craft based skills.

For the students, the bulk of the study requirement for this will be undertaken in main lessons as well as through the subject lesson options and practical workshop blocks, creating a wide-ranging portfolio of individual student achievement.

Although at this stage there is no guarantee, in practice we are expecting the European Waldorf Diploma to be up and running in plenty of time (by July 2013) for our first cohort of students to benefit from it. Further information about the Crossfields project can be found on their website at www.crossfieldsinstitute.com.

Prior to the new EWD, other upper school qualifications have already been successfully developed and implemented. Details of the "European Portfolio Certificate" can be found here. Also, in January 2012, the New Zealand ‘Steiner Schools Certificate’ received full approval from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

will the Diploma qualification be recognised by universities and employers?

Yes, we believe so. UCAS (the Central organisation through which applications are processed for entry to higher education) has indicated that a graded level three qualification underwritten by Edexcel would attract points in the same way that A levels currently do. However, there is still work to do in terms of publicity and PR for the Diploma and this is an area that Crossfields will be focussing on in the near future. Many employers are, of course, unaware of the development of the Waldorf Diploma. Effective publicity will be needed to inform them that the Waldorf Diploma will be equivalent to qualifications they are more accustomed to.

However, we also believe that in some cases students with the European Waldorf Diploma will have an advantage over their peers. In recent years GCSEs have been increasingly devalued, partly because the pass rates have been increasing year on year, but also because employers, universities and colleges for further education are finding students lacking in maturity and initiative. Vast numbers of students are leaving schools and sixth forms with GCSE and A level qualifications and employers and Universities/colleges are interested in students who have something different to offer. Thus students with an accredited European Waldorf Diploma, with a portfolio of unique work are likely to stand out and invoke interest.

European Portfolio Certificate (EPC)

This is also something we are pursuing with interest, alongside the European Waldorf Diploma (EWD). As explained previously, the EWD is still to be piloted and accredited and so until such a time as this process is completed, we are unable to rely on it for current students. However, the EPC is an approved scheme, which is already up and running in continental Europe and is increasingly being taken up by Steiner Upper Schools in the UK (including Michael Hall & Ringwood).

As the name suggests, it comprises a ‘portfolio’ approach, defined within the guidelines as “a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student’s efforts, progress and achievements in one or more areas.” Within this approach, pupils choose which areas of study they wish to develop into a portfolio project for certification.

The work involved in each project depends upon which skills a pupil wishes to develop or demonstrate. At the end of each project the pupils carry out a review of their own work and are expected to reflect on lessons learnt and areas they did well in. Strict criteria and guidelines govern whether work achieves the standard required to gain a European Portfolio Certificate or not. Due to the level of pupil involvement and self-evaluation, the EPC is increasingly being seen as providing valuable evidence of the ability of Waldorf pupils to think and work independently, using their own initiative.